Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position of an application for a bereavement grant by a person (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35105/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The application of the person concerned for a bereavement grant was refused on the basis that the qualifying PRSI conditions were not satisfied. The person concerned also applied to the Community Welfare Officer of the Health Service Executive for an exceptional needs payment towards funeral expenses but, based on the circumstances and the details provided, the payment was not granted. The person concerned was advised by the CWO to contact the Executive should any exceptional circumstances or expenses subsequently arise. She was also informed of her right to appeal the decision not to grant her an exceptional needs payment to the designated appeals officer of the Executive.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if orphans are entitled to a back to school allowance in the same way as they are automatically entitled to a medical card, irrespective of the means of the relative or family they are living with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35106/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In order to qualify for payment of back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA), a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment (including family income supplement) or Health Service Executive payment, be participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain set levels.

Where a person is receiving a guardian's payment in respect of an orphan, a claim for BSCFA may be made, subject to the normal means assessment for the BSCFA scheme. This assessment takes into account the means of the guardians but disregards the actual guardians' payment and the means of the orphan.

I consider the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme to be an important support for parents. I am satisfied that the improvements to the scheme for this year have provided a major boost to meeting the financial costs associated with return to school for those who most need assistance.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 456: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position in relation to a person in receipt of a carer's allowance; if the hours allowed to work will be increased to facilitate people who want to work with FÁS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35178/06]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 1043 of 27 September 2006, the position in relation to a person in receipt of a carer's allowance; if the hours allowed to work will be increased to facilitate people who want to work with FÁS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35177/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 and 460 together.

As I stated in response to the Deputy's previous question, supporting and recognising carers in our society has been a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for the carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended.

One of the fundamental qualification conditions for carer's allowance is that the applicant must be providing full time care and attention to a person who needs such care. Since the introduction of the carer's allowance scheme this full time care and attention requirement has been eased in order to facilitate carers in engaging in employment, education or training.

Until June this year people could engage in employment outside the home for up to 10 hours per week and still qualify for payment. Since then, I have increased the number of hours a person can engage in employment, self-employment, training or education outside the home and still satisfy the qualifying conditions for payment, from 10 to 15 hours per week. This improvement applies to carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant.

Any further change in the existing arrangements would have financial implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.